How to Cook Vegan Like Taylor Swift’s Favorite Chef, Ina Garten (2024)

Ina Garten is known for her hit Food Network show Barefoot Contessa and her popular recipe blog of the same name—both of which feature a multitude of dishes that are particularly heavy on the animal products. Chicken stock, parmesan, and unsalted butter are just a few examples of the ingredients that feature heavily across the celebrity chef’s repertoire. But amongst all of the meat- and dairy-based recipes, Garten does also offer several delicious plant-based dishes. We took a look through Barefoot Contessa’s extensive recipe database to find some vegan favorites, and you can find the result of our search below (our mouths are already watering for the Salmorejo).

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What dish is Ina Garten most famous for?

Garten has many fans across the globe, even Taylor Swift credits her love of cooking to the celebrity chef. “As soon as I started watching Ina’s show, I realized why so many people adore her. Her goal is to make things easier for us,” she wrote in a tribute to Garten for the Time100.

Garten has a wide variety of adored recipes, but she is arguably most famous for her roast chicken. Her version of the dish is even nicknamed “engagement chicken,” thanks to the number of proposals it has allegedly inspired (it was apparently the dish that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were cooking when they agreed to tie the knot).

But we think Garten’s roast vegetable dishes also deserve a moment in the spotlight. We have even put together a guide to the chef’s delicious renditions of roasted broccolini, garlic-roasted potatoes, and crispy roasted kale, all of which are also totally worthy of getting down on one knee. Find our guide to roasting vegetables just like Garten here.

RELATED: Make the Most of Heirloom Tomatoes With These Juicy Recipes

8 vegan dishes from Ina Garten

Garten’s plant-based recipes don’t only involve roasting vegetables. Below, you can find out how to make everything from creamy hummus to summery pasta just like the renowned celebrity chef.

Barefoot Contessa

1 Creamy Hummus

You can’t go wrong with hummus. It’s a great party appetizer or midweek snack, especially when you’ve got plenty of chips and carrot sticks on hand. Garten’s version of the Middle Eastern classic features ingredients like two cans of chickpeas (of course), smoked paprika, tahini, and a dash of Tabasco. The chef recommends serving with a simple side of baked pita triangles—heaven.
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Barefoot Contessa

2 Tomato & Avocado Salad

This simple salad combines two nutrient-dense, flavorful favorites: cherry tomatoes and Hass avocados. Fresh lemon juice is another mus, as well as diced red onion, “good” olive oil, salt and pepper, and some baby arugula. Serve at room temperature at your next cookout to impress your guests.
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3 Guacamole

If you’re hosting a Mexican food night, guacamole is an absolute must. This simple recipe from Garten is perfectly creamy, and has a nice little kick, too, thanks to the eight dashes of Tabasco in the recipe. Not sure what to combine it with? We reckon it would go beautifully with these Garlicky Brussels Sprout Tacos.
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4 Salmorejo

This traditional Spanish soup hails from the region of Andalusia, and like gazpacho, it is always served cold. It’s easy to make and incredibly flavorful. Garten recommends that, as tomatoes are the main ingredient, you whip up this dish with “summer of farm stand tomatoes” for the best flavor.
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5 Summer Garden Pasta

As the name indicates, this tasty pasta dish is best enjoyed in the summer in the garden (maybe with a glass of cold white wine, too). While Garten’s recipe is not totally vegan due to the inclusion of parmesan cheese, it is easy to swap this out for a vegan version. Grab it from the store or make it at home following this recipe for homemade almond parmesan.
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6 Garlic & Herb Tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes are the ultimate summertime dish. They are already bursting with delicious flavor, but they arguably really shine when they are mixed with olive oil, minced garlic, fresh basil, parsley, thyme, and a little salt and pepper. It’s pure Mediterranean deliciousness.
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Barefoot Contessa

7 Fresh Strawberry Jam

Enjoy this delicious, fresh strawberry jam with scones, bake it into a cake, or smother it in a sandwich. It’s relatively simple to make and requires just four ingredients: strawberries, sugar, granny smith apples, and fresh blueberries.
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Barefoot Contessa

8 Perfect Poached Fruit

This juicy poached fruit recipe—which features julienned oranges, whole Bosc pears, and large dried figs—is best served with your favorite ice cream, a dollop of vegan yogurt, or just on its own. It is “perfect,” after all.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.